A STARBUCKS store in Seattle is set to close – just weeks after branches in the US city slammed shut.
The reasons behind the shutdown remain unknown, leaving customers in the dark.
A global coffeehouse is to close another one of its stores[/caption]
This Starbucks store in Seattle, Washington, will close today (September 30)[/caption]
A note posted on one of the windows informed coffee fanatics that the store would be shutting up shop, as reported by the ABC affiliate KOMO-TV.
“We would like to thank you for being part of our store community,” it said.
“You are the heart of who were are at Starbucks.
“It has been a great pleasure to connect with you every day. We are very thankful to have played a role in your daily routine and that you have shared these moments of your life with us.”
The note invited coffee lovers to visit other Starbucks outlets in the city.
Starbucks chiefs told KOMO they are constantly reviewing their store portfolios.
They said they don’t take decisions to shutter outlets lightly.
The U.S. Sun has approached Starbucks for comment.
The closure comes just weeks after a Starbucks store in Aliki Beach – around seven miles away – shuttered in August.
The decision was taken to close the outlet – despite opposition from locals.
A petition was even created in a desperate bid to convince chiefs to reconsider their decision, per KOMO.
“It provides a space for friends to meet, families to connect, and neighbors to come together,” the petition said.
Those who wanted the coffeehouse to remain open said it boosted the local economy and was extremely convenient.
Supporters also pointed out that the shutdown “disrupted” employees’ work routine – even though they were able to move to other locations.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain’s affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 ‘underperforming’ locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee’s: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John’s: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco’s Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio’s Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster’s Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- México Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing “unforeseen circumstances”
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner’s family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny’s: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John’s: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney’s: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby’s: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
- Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
A Starbucks location near Pike Place Market in Seattle also closed down recently.
Starbucks has more than 16,000 locations in the US and is a popular go-to spot for workers on their morning commute.
The U.S. Sun reported how the chain’s iconic location in Astor Place, New York, closed after 30 years of business.
Starbucks bosses didn’t delve into the reason behind the closure but crime has been speculated as one of the factors.
A Starbucks kiosk at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, 65 miles north of Philadelphia, in August.
The global coffee chain is not the only company that has seen store closures.
OTHER CLOSURES
The U.S. Sun reported how a raft of Shari’s Café and Pies establishments have closed in recent months.
The latest closure was the chain’s restaurant in Keizer, Oregon – around 45 miles from Portland.
Bosses decided to shut up shop after almost 30 years of business.
Other chains that have seen closures include Red Lobster, Applebee’s, and Cracker Barrel.
Red Lobster’s future appeared to be hanging by a thread as chiefs filed for bankruptcy.
Dozens of restaurants disappeared from the map but the company now has a new CEO, Damola Adamolekun.
He believes the company is now more resilient.
